Iran proposes an end to war within 30 days as Trump expresses doubts
DUBAI, United Arab Emirates (AP) — Iran’s latest proposal to the United States calls for issues between the countries to be resolved within 30 days and aims to end the war rather than extend the ceasefire, according to Iran’s state-linked media.
President Donald Trump on Saturday said he was reviewing a new Iranian proposal but expressed doubt it would lead to a deal, adding on social media that “they have not yet paid a big enough price for what they have done to Humanity, and the World, over the last 47 years” since the Islamic Revolution there.
Iran’s 14-point proposal, a rebuttal to a U.S. nine-point plan, also calls for the U.S. lifting sanctions on Iran, ending the U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports, withdrawing forces from the region and ceasing all hostilities, including Israel’s operations in Lebanon, according to the semiofficial Nour News and Tasnim agencies, which have close ties to Iran’s security organizations.
There was no mention, however, of Iran’s nuclear program and its enriched uranium, long the central issue in tensions with the U.S. and one that Tehran would rather address later.
Iran sent its reply via Pakistan, which hosted face-to-face talks last month between Iran and the United States.
Pakistan’s prime minister, foreign minister and army chief continue to push negotiations and encourage the U.S. and Iran to speak directly, according to two officials in Pakistan who spoke on condition of anonymity because they were not authorized to speak to the media.
The fragile three-week ceasefire appears to be holding, though Trump on Saturday told journalists that further strikes remained a possibility.
Also on Sunday, Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi spoke with Oman’s Foreign Minister Badr al-Busaidi, who oversaw previous rounds of talks between the U.S. and Iran before the war.
Iran stands firm on Strait of Hormuz
Trump has offered a plan to reopen the Strait of Hormuz at the mouth of the Persian Gulf, where about a fifth of the world’s trade in oil and natural gas typically passes, along with fertilizer badly needed by farmers around the world. Iran’s grip on the strait, imposed during the war, has shaken global markets.
Iran’s deputy parliament speaker on Sunday said Tehran “will not back down from our position on the Strait of Hormuz, and it will not return to its prewar conditions.” Ali Nikzad, who has no decision-making power in parliament, spoke while visiting port facilities on strategic Larak Island, near the narrowest part of the strait.
“The Strait of Hormuz belongs to the Islamic Republic of Iran,” Nikzad said, and reiterated Iran’s position that any ship not associated with the U.S. or Israel will be able to pass after paying a toll.
The U.S. has warned shipping companies they could face sanctions for paying Iran in any form, including digital assets, to pass safely.
Iran effectively closed the strait by attacking and threatening ships after the U.S. and Israel launched the war on Feb. 28. Tehran has offered some ships safe passage via routes closer to its shore, charging fees at times.
The U.S. naval blockade of Iranian ports since April 13 is depriving Tehran of oil revenue it needs to shore up its ailing economy.
Iran’s currency continues to tumble
On Sunday, the second day of Iran’s working week, the rial weakened further against the U.S. dollar.
In Tehran’s Ferdowsi Street, the capital’s main currency exchange hub, the dollar was trading at 1,840,000 rials. Analysts say there is a strong possibility the currency will slip further in the coming days.
The rial was trading at 1.3 million to the dollar in December, a record low at the time, and triggered widespread protests over the worsening economy. Markets in Tehran remain unstable, with prices of some goods rising daily.
According to reports in Iranian media, several factories have not renewed contracts for workers after the Iranian new year in March, and significant numbers have lost their jobs.
Yousef Pezeshkian, the son and adviser of President Masoud Pezeshkian, wrote on Telegram that both the United States and Iran see themselves as the winner of the war and are unwilling to back down.
Nobel committee urges treatment for Iranian laureate
The Norwegian Nobel Committee on Saturday urged Iran to immediately transfer imprisoned Nobel Peace Prize laureate Narges Mohammadi for medical treatment in Tehran after her health sharply deteriorated.
The committee said it was in touch with Mohammadi’s family and lawyer, and that the 2023 laureate’s life remains at risk without treatment by her medical team in Tehran.
Mohammadi fainted twice in prison on Friday in the northwestern city of Zanjan, her foundation said, and was admitted to a local hospital. Her lawyers have said she is believed to have suffered a heart attack in late March.
Mohammadi, a rights lawyer, was arrested in December during a visit to the eastern Iranian city of Mashhad and sentenced to seven more years in prison.
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Lidman reported from Tel Aviv, Israel. Associated Press writers Amir Vahdat in Tehran, Iran and Munir Ahmed in Islamabad contributed to this report.